Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability Chapter 1

What is environmental science?

Three Major Periods in Human History Hunter-gatherer society The agricultural revolution The industrial revolution

Major Categories of Environmental Problems Resource depletion Pollution Loss of biodiversity

Resources Natural resource - any natural material that is used by humans Renewable resource Nonrenewable resource Perpetual resource – Resource depletion

Resource use Renewable Resources Nonrenewable Resources

Tragedy of the Commons Three types of property or resource rights – Private property – Common property – Open access property/ renewable resources Tragedy of the commons – Solutions

Case Study: Easter Island

From

Some moai are even bigger than previously thought!

Pollution Definition: An undesired change in air, water, or soil that adversely affects the health, survival, or activities of humans or other organisms. Types – Biodegradable Ex. Human sewage and food waste – Non-biodegradable Mercury, lead, some types of plastic

Loss of Biodiversity Biodiversity – the number and variety of species that live in an area We depend on organisms for food, medicine, and the oxygen we breathe. Humans have the power to cause extinction at a level that other organisms can’t

World Population Growth – Exponential!

Developed Country Developing Country

Harmful Results of Poverty

Consumption trends – developed nations use about 90% of the earth’s resources, but are only about 20% of the world’s population.

Positive and Negative Impacts of Affluence Harmful environmental impact due to – High levels of consumption – Unnecessary waste of resources Affluence can provide funding for – Developing technologies to reduce Pollution Environmental degradation Resource waste

IPAT I=P x A x T Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology

Your Ecological Footprint Ecological footprint – shows the productive area of earth needed to support one person in a particular country. If everyone lived the same lifestyle as you did, how many earths would we need to support everyone.

Examples of ecological footprints

Sustainability What does it mean to be sustainable?

Sustainability Sustainability – Do we live in a sustainable world today?

Making Environmental Decisions Cost-benefit analysis – Balances the cost of the action against the benefits one expects from it. Risk assessment – One tool that helps us create cost-effective ways to protect our health and the environment. – How does the public perceive the risk of a particular action?

Precautionary Principal "When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically. In this context the proponent of an activity, rather than the public, should bear the burden of proof. The process of applying the precautionary principle must be open, informed and democratic and must include potentially affected parties. It must also involve an examination of the full range of alternatives, including no action." - Wingspread Statement on the Precautionary Principle, Jan. 1998Wingspread Statement

Precautionary Principal Translation: If you don’t know how harmful something is, it is better to be cautious and not use it until proven that it isn’t harmful. The person or people who want to do the action that may or may not be harmful are the ones responsible for proving it is safe.